Drew's article in the newest Double Gun Journal on Damascus Myths is really interesting and well illustrated. Thanks, Drew

You, and all those who have contributed to this and the upcoming series of articles, are most welcome Daryl. I'd mention names but would no doubt forget someone; but esp. Dave Noreen, PeteM, Bro Raimey, and Dennis Potter who provided a bunch of tubes for tensile and composition testing.
Unfortunately, the mule train hasn't made it down the Mogollon as yet, so I haven't received my copies
I asked Joanna to send me a bunch and plan to take them, and the Fall & Winter issues with the Failure Analysis articles to the 2017 Vegas show to distribute.
I might also bring my bore gauge and Bill Henry wall thickness gauge to finance the trip.

Other contributors of barrel segments for destructive testing:
Ken Marburger, Phil Haycock, Jason Marks, Monty McGee, Mike Novy, Joe Dreisch, Bud Mondt, Chris Helms, and Robert Simpson.

Definitely looking forward to reading! Congrats!

Also looking forward to reading it, and the series. Congrats Doc Drew.

Drew, you're doing yeoman work in that area. Congratulations!

All right!
Can't wait to read it.
Congrats

Don't have the new DGJ yet Doctor Drew. Did you make reference to the fallen lady?...Geo

Haven't seen it yet, Rev, but looking forward to it!

How could I not George?

“Fallen Lady” is about a bird gun that miraculously healed Havilah Babcock's (head of the University of South Carolina Department of English from 1939 until his retirement in 1964) shooting slump, but was reluctantly returned to the owner when found to have Damascus barrels. It first appeared in Field and Stream in the late 1940s (the “Lady” then may have been a Lefever) and was republished in May 1962 (now a Parker).

Looking forward to reading your article Rev and I have been told by a man that knew him that he shot a 16 gauge Fox for years. Bobby

Drew - It's about time some of your exemplary work was published in some format other than the electronic versions - this is not to disparage your "Damascusknowledge.com" and others which represent countless hours of work by you as well as those from whom you have (graciously) borrowed hundreds of pictures, etc.

Nice work Dr. Drew - Congratulations Sir!

The borrow comment brings me to say that many pictures have been borrowed over the years from this site and others. I haven't seen it yet and hope this Journal piece includes the names of those who came up with any pictures or dig.images included in the piece. Drew has thanked here those who sent in pieces of barrel for study. Good, but postings here are fleeting whereas the Journal hard copy is timeless. Again I hope the same consideration was given to the sources of any pictures in the Journal piece, real name or web name.

Had CB bothered to read the article prior to his anonymous sniping, his righteous concerned would have been allayed. But to give credit where it is due, directly from the text:


A.P. Curtis published the second of a two part article entitled “Advantages of Short Shotgun Chambers” in the March 1938 American Rifleman (Courtesy of Larry Brown) which dates the warning.

This statement is consistent with a 1948 letter from the Remington Arms Co. Service Division (courtesy of Chuck Bishop) in response to an inquiry by a Parker owner.

1907 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogue No. 116 courtesy of Gary Rennles

Special thanks to all those who have contributed expertise or barrel material, without which this effort could not have been possible:
Dan Wildhaber, Mike Brown, Will Evans, Chris Helms, Phil Haycock, Jason Marks, Stephen Helsley, Monty McGee, Mike Novy, Dennis Potter, Joe Dreisch, Gil Russell, Bud Mondt, George Newbern, David Noreen, Larry Brown, and Steve Culver.


The information was tough to format in a magazine article, and is much more readable here. Kinda hard to provide attribution for 115 year old lithographs used in advertisements and catalogs.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LFnSG34k3mBhLEjEgU267wAlIa215MNVQZhIiY62Hx4/edit

I do not believe CB has ever posted anything worth saving, but as I have previously explained, if I have someone's image on PictureTrail or DamascusKnowledge without an attribution I would be most happy to correct that failure, or remove the image. It should be noted that MANY contributors requested NO attribution, esp. with images of valuable guns.

Or, not.

Good work, Dr. Drew.


Best,
Ted

Drew, as you know, you remain a credit and supporter to those who love doubleguns

I look forward to reading the article

My copy just arrived! Looking forward to reading your article Drew. Thanks for all your hard work to dispel myths and further knowledge.

I remember sitting with Oscar after he donated a 2 frame Parker for damascus blow up test. My memory says it blew at roughly 30,000 PSI. There were a series of tests that indicate good damascus was very good. I am glad to see the investigation continue.

bill

Bill: Dr Gaddy donated the damascus barrels from the Parker GH and the Vulcan Steel barrels from the Parker VH that had been the subjects of destructive testing by Sherman Bell, with the technical support of Tom Armbrust, published in The Double Gun Journal Vol. 10, Issue 4, Winter, 1999, “Finding Out For Myself” Part II and Vol. 16, Issue 2, Summer 2005, “Finding Out For Myself” Part IX.
Both guns were subjected to sequentially higher pressure loads at about 2,000 pounds/square inch (psi) increments. The GH testing started at 11,900 psi and one chamber ruptured at 29,620 psi. The VH started with a Proof Load of 18,560 psi. Both chambers bulged at 29,620 psi and ruptured at 31,620 psi.
Ron Graham performed a metallurgical analysis on both barrels and it is my understanding that he intends to publish the report, possibly as part of his evaluation of the other donated barrels (hopefully still) in his possession.

Drew: Great job. And I enjoyed Babcock's writing way back when. That was great stuff too. Gil

Drew, I have a set of DD Damascus barrels off a high grade Parker That I would be happy to send you a section of for testing. How long of a piece do you need? The barrel's had the breech end smashed with a hammer. Go figure.....

Wow brother, and good timing. Now that some remuneration should be arriving I was ready to take more barrel segments to METL for tensile strength testing and composition analysis; to do both requires a 4-5" segment. Thanks! PM sent.

Drew,

Sounds like I'd better pack up your tubes and get'em back to you. I'll be sure to send the other testing segments like the 2-iron Laminated, Fluid Steel, and the percussion tubes along as well.

Congrats on getting your articles published.

My next run is starting coming together, I'll send a PM with pics to you and Steve regarding what exactly we're trying to show on Steve's pieces, so we can all be on the same page.

Regards
Ken

Please do Bro. Ken. I want to get the additional segments to METL this summer

Parts 2 & 3 will be a discussion of a barrel rupture with the first (to my knowledge) published photomicrographs of a pattern welded barrel.

4 & 5 will discuss the Birmingham Proof House Trial Report of 1891 and tensile testing of Crolle, Damascus-twist, Twist and several early 1900s new fangled steel barrels, including Armor steel.
http://docs.google.com/document/d/1dnRLZgcuHfx7uFOHvHCUGnGFiLiset-DTTEK8OtPYVA/edit

Afraid the remuneration will take 4 or 5 articles to cover the almost $3000 I'll be in the hole to METL. But expiring minds want to know

Drew, Do you need more tubes to test? I have a set of damascus barrels, c. 1886, in bad condition. Happy to send if that helps. Thanks for doing this great work.

Thank you Rich. With Dave's high grade crolle segment I will have an adequate sample of crolle, damascus-twist, and twist barrels. And BTW: tensile strength has been remarkable consistent.

METL's fee for machining and tensile testing is now $55 and spectrographic (composition) analysis and interpretation is up to $85 My long suffering spouse would like to see some return on this investment in resources

What I WOULD like is a segment of Bernard II, and Hunter Arms' Crown & Nitro Steel.

Drew, Unfortunately, the tubes I referred to are crollé. I would be happy to contribute to any fund to support this great research.

Excellent article Dr. Drew...I learned much about Damascus barrels and added to previous knowledge acquired from Professor Joe Wood. (I have learned not to mention Damascus barrels around Uncle Joe as he will immediately launch into a dissertation and the ensuing recess from shooting will be lengthy.)

I recommend Prof. Wood's dissertation on the Birmingham Proof Trial regarding Laminated tubes. His analysis was that the results were skewed towards Laminated being stronger because one of the three sets lasted an inordinate time before deformation (the other Laminated tubes were comparable to other types of tubes).

Prof. Joe was talking about publishing a review of the Proof House Trial. Did I miss that?
Some infro. here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dnRLZgcuHfx7uFOHvHCUGnGFiLiset-DTTEK8OtPYVA/edit

Important to recognize that c. 1860s and c. 1890s and the Phase 1 winner "English Best Laminated Steel" were 3 very different products.

BTW: the late John Brindle, author of Shotgun Shooting: Techniques & Technology published a review of the Trial as part of his 5 article series in The Double Gun Journal, “Black and Nitro, Damascus and Steel” in Volume 4, Issues 2 & 3, 1993 and Volume 5, Issues 1, 2 & 3, 1994.

No, you didn't miss it. It was a verbal dissertation that Prof. Wood was so kind to deliver to me over the phone. Merely my attempt at a little mild humor...

Dave,

If you desire, I will restore the tubes for free if you allow me to keep a section for my collection. I will return the balance of the tubes to you. I can also forward a section to DocDrew for testing if you desire.
Ken.

Too late Ken

Here's Dave's Parker DD 6 Iron Turkish with remarkable contrast and quite a dent



Tensile strength and composition analysis should be quite interesting!

Ken, I still have a bit of these barrels left. If you would like a small section just let me know and i'll send it to ya.

PM sent.